Independence
by mintbanana
Summary: Bubbles is fed up of being overshadowed by her sisters. Boomer is fed up with his brothers full stop. Can they get away? Bubbles/Boomer pairing. Now complete. Please R
1. Nothing Special

_Insert generic disclaimer here_

_Bubbles and Boomer. Lovely little pairing, very flexible. I tried to keep them in character but I'm not sure how it turned out. Review, gimme tips, tell me what I did wrong._

_They're 16, the girls are in high school, and the boys are bumming around Townsville. Just your average teenage kids, with superpowers…_

_Multi-chaptered, just because I felt like it._

**Independence**

**Chapter 1: Nothing Special**

It was raining for the third day in a row and Bubbles was feeling a little depressed as a result. She sat dejectedly in the kitchen, chewing half-heartedly on a piece of toast while she waited for her sisters. Despite the fact she was labelled as being the 'girly' one, she somehow always managed to be the first one ready for school in the morning. She supposed Blossom spent all that time on her hair, and Buttercup _was_ a big fan of the snooze button on her alarm clock. She snapped out of her reverie when she bit her finger, the toast having run out.

Heading to the downstairs bathroom to brush her teeth, she heard a loud yell and a banging noise. That would be Buttercup falling out of bed as she realised the time. She sighed and grabbed her toothbrush and the toothpaste and started her daily ritual. One minute top row, one minute bottom row and an extra minute for all over surface work. It may have seemed strange to be quite as precise, but Bubbles knew, as addicted to sweets as she was, she had to make sure she kept her teeth clean.

Deciding that waiting for her sisters was a waste of time (there was a muffled yell of "Blossom! You used all the hot water, AGAIN!" now coming from the upstairs bathroom), she grabbed her umbrella and, saying goodbye to the professor, headed out into the rain.

XBXBX

She decided that it was too early to fly; she had plenty of time and flying in the rain always made her hair go frizzy, even if she did have an umbrella. As always, her hair was tied up in ponytails, albeit now slightly longer than they had been when she was little. As an experiment she'd dyed a streak of baby blue into it at the front, and this strand hung loose, swinging back and forth as she walked quickly towards the school, eager to get out of the rain. It was strange; she couldn't remember the last time she'd gone to school without at least one of her sisters with her. Maybe she'd never been without them.

No wonder everyone took her to be the 'weak' one.

She scuffed her shoe on the sidewalk, irritated. Sure, there had been that one time when she'd lost it and beat Mojo into a bloody pulp, but did anyone remember that? No, that had been 11 years ago. Of course no one remembered. Deciding that there wasn't much point in being annoyed, she shook the thoughts from her mind and carried on walking. She was well liked at school, she had more friends than just her sisters, it wasn't as if she couldn't handle being without them.

But even so, she wasn't really anything special. Blossom was smart, scoring in the high 90s or even getting 100 in all her tests, and that, added to her natural confidence made her very popular. Buttercup may not have been academic, but she was in every sports club at the school and great at all of them, without using any of her powers. She had quite a fan club, especially among the boys, not that she was interested. But Bubbles, she wasn't great at school. She did ok as long as she studied, but the only thing she was really any good at was biology and even then she had to get the professor's help with the homework. She didn't really like sport, except for badminton and netball, and she wasn't good enough to make the school netball team. She was popular with the boys, but only because she was blonde and just that little bit ditzy, landing her as being labelled a bimbo within the male population of the school. They all wanted a piece of a Powerpuff Girl; they may as well go for the easy target. She'd been on a few dates, but had since given up once she realised most of them just wanted to go out with her to appear cooler, among other things.

The school was in sight now, but Bubbles suddenly didn't feel too thrilled at the prospect of _another_ day sitting in a bunch of stuffy classrooms listening to the rain drumming off the windows and trying to get her head round Hess's law or whatever. All the same, she wasn't about to cut school, so she carried on, ignoring the fact that the bottoms of her white jeans were damp and sticking to her legs. Pausing at the school gates, she tilted her umbrella slightly and looked up at the grey sky, looking for some sign that the rain was going to stop. Instead, all she saw was dark menacing clouds stretching out over the city, with no break to be seen. She started to turn away, but her attention was suddenly caught by something odd. A streak of navy racing across the sky. She knew that particular vapour trail, even though she hadn't seen it in months.

"Boomer…?"

-End of Chapter 1-

_Please review!_


	2. Enough

_Boomer's turn._

_I don't know how long this'll carry on for. As long as it does I suppose. Reviews are life support, the fic cannot live without them, so if you like it, review._

**Chapter 2: Enough**

"I'm home." There was a wordless grunt from the sofa in response. So Brick was up then. Boomer sighed and kicked off his shoes, heading into the kitchen. A few months ago he'd made a deal with Miss Bellum at the Mayor's office to get an apartment for him and his brothers. Now they lived rent free on the outskirts of the city, all in exchange for a few days community service. Naturally Boomer had done all of that. He hadn't told his brothers how he'd got them the flat, and they never thought to ask.

Now Boomer was pretty much left in charge of making sure they didn't all starve. He'd never been very good at the whole 'villain' thing anyway, so while Brick and Butch still liked going out to antagonise both the townspeople and the Powerpuffs, Boomer preferred sitting in front of the TV or blasting something on his Xbox. Brick had produced that one day. Boomer figured it was stolen, but he hadn't quite convinced himself that he cared. They were all drop-outs and he needed _something_ to do with his time.

Grabbing a can of Coke from the fridge, he wandered past the living room and headed for his bedroom, aiming to change his soaked clothes. Flying in the rain was never fun, but he had to get out of the apartment sometime. As he walked past Butch's room, the door flew open and his green-eyed brother stomped out. Boomer averted his eyes and walked on quickly. He knew the look in Butch's eyes and knew he really didn't want to be in the line of fire.

"Oy Brick!" he heard Butch yell harshly, his voice still hoarse from sleep. Boomer paused at his room door and looked round.

"We goin' out today or what?" Butch was demanding. Brick's red-capped head appeared from behind the back of the sofa, his crimson eyes fixing Butch with a groggy look of contempt. Obviously he'd been sleeping on the sofa again.

"Can't be bothered today. Go 'way" The head disappeared again.

"But those damn Powderpuffs…" Brick sat up.

"Look if you wanna go work out your issues on that little green freak then be my guest. Why don't you just admit your undying love to her while you're at it? I'm sure she'd be thrilled. Nothing could ever compare to the adorable way you two beat the shit out of each other." Boomer gulped. Brick always did have a smart mouth, and it did have a habit of getting him, and usually Butch and Boomer too, into trouble. It certainly wasn't doing him any favours now. Butch was livid, and he looked ready to kill. Quickly slipping into his room, Boomer leaned against the door and listened to the sounds of their living room getting trashed. _Again_.

Sighing, he wandered away from the door and, putting the can of coke down, collapsed onto his bed. He lay there for a while and stared out of the window at the rain, his mind beginning to wander.

He'd been out flying earlier, just to let off some steam and get away from his brothers. He didn't have anywhere to go, so he just floated about aimlessly in the rain for a while. Eventually deciding that it was really a little _too_ wet to be outside, he started to head home. As he flew over the streets near the school, he saw a flash of baby blue bobbing along below. Pausing, he dropped down a few metres to get a better look. He eventually identified as an umbrella, and as it reached the school gates, he was about to fly away. But he stopped again. The umbrella was now tilted upwards and its owner was scanning sky. He froze. He knew said owner. He immediately recognised the blonde pigtails, the big blue eyes. It was Bubbles alright, but something was different. The sweet little smile that seemed omnipresent on her face was missing, replaced with a tired, wan look that really didn't suit her. He hadn't seen her in a few months, but she had seemed fine the last time. Mentally shrugging, he flew off, his navy vapour trail following behind him.

Now he couldn't help but wonder what had made her look so worn out. She had always seemed so… _bubbly_ before. The last time they'd fought, she'd seemed to be the same old Bubbles. Of course, it had been years since they'd really, _really_ had a decent fight. Neither of them particularly enjoyed it. She didn't because she wasn't violent, and he didn't really like the idea of hitting girls, especially one as fragile looking as Bubbles. So they'd half-heartedly throw a few punches at each other for about ten minutes and then go their separate ways. The last time, he remembered, they hadn't even bothered. She'd flown over to find him, and as he rose to meet her, she'd given him a brief 'get out of here' look a before flying off. She knew he wasn't one for causing trouble any more. He'd been wondering how hard it would be to get to know her better since then. Brick and Butch wouldn't like it. They liked nothing better than beating the tar out of their counterparts. All the same, Boomer wondered if Bubbles felt the same as he did. Pale in comparison to her sisters. Nah, she couldn't. Could she?

The noises coming from the living room had stopped now, and Brick's voice suddenly cut into his thoughts.

"Hey, where'd the idiot go?" His fists clenched. That was enough.

-End of Chapter 2-


	3. Bruises

_Chapter 3, a little combination of both of them now._

**Chapter 3: Bruises**

_Was that Boomer I saw?_ Bubbles wondered silently. She might have been imagining things she supposed. Still, why would she imagine seeing something like that? She didn't really know him, and he was a Rowdyruff, even if he was pretty cute, so maybe she shouldn't be too worried about it. As long as he wasn't causing trouble it was ok, right?

"Bubbles. Pssst! Bubbles!" Her head snapped up. She looked round to find Blossom frowning at her. Realising she'd been completely ignoring the chemistry teacher; she shook her head and tried to make sense of the calculations that had been done on the board. There was only ten minutes of the lesson left she noticed. Thank goodness for small mercies.

XBXBX

_Shit_, Boomer thought, wiping blood away from his mouth as he flew away from the apartment. _They really didn't go easy on me this time._ He descended once he was just outside the city centre. He needed to find somewhere he could clean up. He was a mess of bruises and scratches, his shirt ripped beneath his jacket. He staggered through the streets, thankful for the rain keeping people inside. He thought briefly about going to the Mayor's office; Miss Bellum might help him. But then again, maybe she wouldn't. It had been hard enough to convince her to help him the last time.

"Dammit," he snarled as he tripped over an uneven section of the paving. His blonde hair was soaked and sticking to his face, half covering his eyes. Clutching his right side, he kept on walking, his mouth set in a grim line.

XBXBX

"Hey Bubbles, you ok?"

"Huh?" Bubbles looked up. Her sisters were both staring at her and her untouched lunch.

"Are you feeling alright Bubbles?" Blossom asked, leaning over to press her hand against her sister's forehead. Bubbles swatted it away.

"I don't need you to baby me," she hissed. Buttercup paused in taking a bite out of her sandwich to look at her incredulously.

"Woah, what's eating you?" Bubbles flushed.

"I… uh. Yeah, you know, I don't really feel all that great. I think I'm just going to go home, go to bed." Blossom nodded matter-of-factly.

"I'll pick up your homework for you," she said, as if she was doing her a huge favour. Bubbles gave a small, forced smile and, grabbing her bag, headed to the school office to say she was leaving early.

XBXBX

Wincing a little, Boomer continued wandering the streets. He had no idea what time it was. Past lunchtime anyway, he was _starving_. He rounded a corner and found himself in front of the school.

_Back here huh?_ he thought to himself. Sighing, he carried on. He stopped when he heard a small noise behind him.

"B…Boomer?" Turning, he saw Bubbles standing there under her blue umbrella, a look of shock on her face.

"Bubbles?" He realised how he must look; soaked to the skin and bruised and battered as he was, he must be downright scary. At least the rain had washed away the worst of the blood.

"Boomer! You're hurt, what happened?" She ran over to him, her eyes full of concern. This confused him a little, surely she wouldn't care? She was a Powerpuff after all. But then again, Bubbles didn't seem the type to care about whether or not she liked a person before she helped them. His side twinged and he flinched.

"Boomer? Boomer, are you ok?" He felt dizzy. This was not good.

"I'm fine. I'm fine… I've had… worse." His vision tunnelled, and then he didn't care anymore.

XBXBX

Bubbles sat chewing her lip as she waited for Boomer to wake up. She'd taken him to her house, deciding he probably wouldn't like to wake up in hospital. Thankfully the Professor was out when she'd dragged the limp Rowdyruff through the front door. Carrying him upstairs, she'd laid him out on her bed before getting some warm water and a towel to clean him up a little and dry him off. Now all she could do was wait. She wasn't entirely sure why she was helping him, but she couldn't just leave him lying there in front of the school in the rain.

"Nngh…"She looked over to see his eyes flickering open, a groan escaping his lips.

"Where…?" She got up and moved over to sit on the edge of the bed.

"It's ok, I… brought you home. Well, to my home. I didn't know where you lived so…"

"Bubbles?" he groaned. She stopped babbling. He probably had a headache; there was no need to make it worse.

"How did you get me here?" he asked, sounding a little confused.

"I carried you of course," she said indignantly. "I do have superpowers you know."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry, I wasn't thinking." She blinked. That sounded a little… well, _polite,_ to be coming from a Rowdyruff.

"You probably want a shower right?" she asked, quickly changing the subject. "I cleaned up what I could see, but I probably missed quite a lot."

"Yeah, that'd be good." She nodded and showed him where the bathroom was. As he was cleaning up, she decided she should probably get him something to eat.

XBXBX

The shower was definitely helpful. Turning the heat up high, Boomer let the near-scalding water crash down over him. He was amazed Bubbles had gone to all this trouble, or that she trusted him enough to leave him on his own in her house. He had no intention of doing anything, but all the same…

He felt a little bad about what he had said; about her getting him here. He sensed that she didn't like the implication of weakness, any more than he liked constantly being called an idiot by his brothers. She must have her fair share of problems too. They were counterparts after all; they were bound to have a few similarities. He just never thought family issues would be one of them.

XBXBX

Bubbles heard the water shutting off and stood up. She'd made a pile of sandwiches, figuring that since Boomer was a) injured and b) a boy, he'd be pretty hungry by now. Taking them upstairs, she knocked on her room door and went in, finding him sitting on the bed. Smiling a little nervously, she held up the food in her hands.

"I made you some sandwiches just in case…" she tailed off, suddenly noticing that he was only wearing his jeans and a towel slung round his neck. Trying to force back a blush, she noticed the extent of the bruising on his chest. Ugly purple and yellow blotches had blossomed on the skin over his ribs and here and there smaller bruises and scrapes marred his pale skin. Catching her look, he averted his eyes.

"Boomer, who did this?" she asked, the plate of sandwiches trembling in her shaking hands.

"My brothers. It was my fault though. I started it. It was pretty stupid I guess."

"Boomer, that's terrible! How could they do that to you?" she placed the sandwiches on her desk and went over to sit beside him. She saw that the bruising extended over his shoulder. Added to the large bruise on his cheek, he made for a sorry picture. Thinking about it, she realised that she was well aware of how they could do it. Especially Butch.

Tentatively reaching out, she laid a hand on his bruised shoulder, gently running her fingers over the slightly swollen skin. He brought his eyes up to meet hers, the grey-blue orbs meeting crystal with a look of confusion. Blushing, she made to draw her fingers back, but he surprised her, his own fingers reaching out to touch her cheek, the tips just ghosting lightly over her skin. They stayed like that for a moment, before remembering themselves and pulling away. Bubbles brought the sandwiches over and then left, mumbling about getting him a new shirt, her cheeks still aflame and her thoughts in a tangled mess.

-End of Chapter 3-

_Review please_


	4. Reasons

_Thanks for sticking with the story this far, I hope you're enjoying it. Feel free to review._

**Chapter 4: Reasons**

Even though he was hungrier than ever, Boomer only managed a few bites out of the first sandwich before giving into his muddled thoughts. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened, never mind _why_ it happened. Something about the way she seemed so concerned about his injuries, despite the fact they were meant to be enemies, had just made something inside him crumble.

Now, he'd managed to freak both of them out. Great.

Eventually, he got tired of listening to his stomach complaining and started eating the sandwiches, enjoying them immensely.

XBXBX

_At least the mall's quiet_, Bubbles thought to herself, clutching her bag on her shoulder nervously, as though she was afraid someone was going to attack her. Of course, she knew no one in the city was _that_ stupid. She might not have been perceived as the strongest of the three, but she was still a Powerpuff, and that counted for something. But in any case, it wasn't fear of attempted theft that was making her jumpy. It was that _thing_ that had happened with Boomer. She subconsciously put her hand to her cheek. Surely he couldn't… But that would be… They were supposed to be enemies, he couldn't… They weren't…

Shaking off these thoughts before she was driven to scream, she hurried off to buy Boomer a replacement shirt. She would have it out with him later she decided, when those bruises were covered up.

XBXBX

Boomer jerked awake when he heard Bubbles' knock on the door. Obviously he'd fallen asleep again. His pony-tailed counterpart slid round the door and handed him a small bundle, which he unravelled to reveal a soft, navy blue shirt, plain except for a midnight shaded strip running across the shoulders. He pulled it on quickly, thankful for the long sleeves. It wasn't that he couldn't handle bruises, he just didn't think showing them off was a fantastic idea. While he did this, Bubbles had wandered over to her dressing table and as he turned round to look at her, she pulled her ponytails out. Not noticing him watching her, she picked up a hairbrush and brushed it out, the fine blonde strands falling in soft waves to below her shoulders. He stared. He'd never seen her with her hair down before. She turned back to face him, making him flush slightly and look away. He felt the bed shift behind him as she sat down. They sat in silence for a minute or two, and then:

"So… what happened? To make your brothers…" she said quietly, not quite able to finish the question. Boomer paused, unsure of an answer.

"I was tired." He said finally. "I was tired of being treated like an idiot all the time. Tired of being picked on by my own brothers just 'cause I'm not as bothered about having a 'reputation.' I don't care what they say; I'm _not_ stupid." Bubbles said nothing, and Boomer felt vaguely foolish. Here he was, telling all this to his supposedly arch-enemy. He coughed, clearing his throat.

"What about you? Why did you look so sad this morning?" Bubbles lifted her head, realising that he must have seen her that morning at the school. She twisted her hands together awkwardly.

"Well… lately, it just seems that everything I do just isn't good enough compared to Blossom and Buttercup. Blossom's smart and she's the leader and then there's Buttercup and she's really athletic and she fights really well, and then there's me…" she paused, her voice wobbling in mid sentence. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she pressed on.

"What do _I_ have? Sure, I can talk to animals and I have the best sonic scream, but does anybody even care? Or notice? I'm just the 'baby', the weak one, the overemotional one. I can fight too; I can take care of myself." Suddenly realising that she'd stood up in the midst of her impassioned rant, she flushed and pushed her hair behind her ears, carefully folding herself back into a sitting position on the bed, avoiding Boomer's gaze.

The pair sat in silence for a while, until Boomer, unused to it being quiet for any length of time, decided enough was enough.

"You know, you shouldn't think like that. About not being like your sisters. I mean, you didn't seem any worse at fighting when we were kids. And let's face it, Butch and Buttercup are crazy, you don't _want_ to be that strong. You've seen them at it; they'll kill each other one day." Bubbles, turning to face him, gave a small, slightly wobbly smile, as if she was unsure of whether or not this was a good thing, but nonetheless encouraging him to go on.

"And as for Blossom, she seems really stuck up. Just like Brick. All they do is tell us _what_ to do and _when _to do it and _how_ to do it. You're not like that at all." Bubbles smile grew, finally reaching her eyes.

"Thanks Boomer, that's really sweet." He wrinkled his nose, making her laugh.

"I never thought you were stupid you know?" she said, a little shyly.

"I mean, sure you said some silly things sometimes, but it was funny, and Brick didn't have to hit you so hard. And right now, I still don't know if this is ok, because we are still supposed to be enemies and all, but you seem different than your brothers. It's… nice." Boomer shrugged, his mouth quirking upwards slightly.

"I'm still a Rowdyruff, always will be, same as you being a Powerpuff, but I think I can make an exception for you. You're not the same as your sisters. No offence or nothin' but they are really _annoying_." Bubbles nodded grimly, reluctant to agree, but finding no alternative response.

"I guess… I should try to be a little more independent. I do kind of cling to them a little. Today was the first time I went out without them. Kind of pathetic huh?" she mumbled, somehow not wanting to appear so fragile in front of him, but at the same time not wanting to appear too strong. It was odd.

"Well… I'm not much better. I always just tagged along after Brick. He liked smashing things, so I guessed I must like smashing things too. And stuff. Stupid stuff. Yeah…" They lapsed back into silence for a while.

XBXBX

"Boomer?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever… you know, want to _not_ be a Rowdyruff?" Boomer stared at her incredulously for a second, then actually appeared to consider it.

"Well… I dunno. It's not something I think about really. I mean, I was born this way, I have powers that normal people don't have. What else can I do? Why? Do you ever wish you weren't a Powerpuff?" Bubbles sighed.

"I'm just so tired of always being second best compared to my sisters you know? And fighting all the time and always, always, _always_ being treated like a baby. And always having to treat you like an enemy even when I know there's no point and all I actually want is just to maybe get to know you a little bit better because _that_ way…" She stopped as she realised what she was saying, flushed and stammered a little as she tried (and failed) to backtrack.

"I, I mean, I don't mean anything _weird_ or anything like _that_…" She was stopped as Boomer sniggered at her, causing her to blush harder and frown a little. On seeing her frown, all he could do was laugh harder.

Without thinking, she slapped him, before suddenly gasping and mumbling apologies hurriedly under her breath while she carefully ran her fingers down his (unbruised) slightly red cheek.

He apologised for laughing, and Bubbles realised he hadn't meant anything by it. She put her hand back down into her lap and admitted that she had taken it badly the wrong way.

"No," he said. "I shouldn't have laughed. It's just… we're being a bit stupid. It's like, we both wanna get to know each other and we're letting our family hold us back. It's like… what's that weird Shakespeare thing? Romeo and Julia?"

"Romeo and Juliet!" Bubbles giggled. And then the reference hit her.

"Wait… you mean you…?" He shrugged, trying (without a lot of success) to appear nonchalant.

"Well, I just… You're my type I guess. We are kind of similar and I think you're nice and stuff…" Bubbles smiled, her heart beating a little faster.

"So you like me then?" she asked sweetly, her eyes lit up properly for the first time in weeks. On seeing this perfectly innocent expression, Boomer felt suddenly both extremely uncomfortable and also that he would quite like to stay with the blonde girl in front of him for a very long time.

"I suppose… Do you like me?" She appeared to consider it for a second, and then nodded.

"I think I do." There was an awkward moment. And then:

"So… you wanna be my girlfriend then?"

"Okay."

"Right."

-End Chapter 4-

_Next chapter: After the initial awkwardness sets in, the two make plans for their first date. However, Boomer's got no home to go back to and Bubbles isn't quite sure her sisters will like her new boyfriend. With some major kinks in the relationship already appearing, will the pair manage to hold it together long enough to actually find out if they are meant to be together?_


	5. Siblings

_Another chapter! Thanks for all the lovely reviews, they keep me writing._

_Now, on with the story…_

**Chapter 5: Siblings**

"So… what do you want to do?" Boomer frowned at the question.

"What d'you mean?"

"I mean, if we're dating we have to do something for our first date, you know? Like _go out_ somewhere?"

"I thought you wanted to keep a low profile about this."

"I thought _you_ did."

"So you want to explain to your sisters?"

"Well, no, but… okay, I suppose I did want to keep it secret." They sighed, almost in unison. Both had known it wouldn't be an easy thing to be together in their circumstances. Their siblings hated each other, the Professor wouldn't stand for it and there was a possibility (if not a probability) that the citizens of Townsville wouldn't like it much either.

But they were prepared to try it. The fact was, they were attracted to each other, perhaps more than either of them knew, and they were willing to explore it.

"So… if we're gonna keep it secret…" Boomer said slowly. Bubbles tipped her head to the side and looked at him with interest.

"Yes?" she asked when he didn't continue for a minute or so.

"Maybe we could go out of the city for a while? I know a place. It might be okay. And it's supposed to stop raining tomorrow, so how about that?"

"Okay, where is it?" Boomer opened his mouth to reply, before closing it and smirking.

"You'll see tomorrow. It's a surprise. I'll come get you around 7:30, ok? Be in here yeah?" She nodded hesitantly.

"See you tomorrow then." He raised his arms slightly, as if he was thinking about giving her a hug, but instead he turned and opened the window, checking quickly for anyone out on the street. Seeing no one, he hopped up on to the sill and, giving Bubbles a jerky wave, flew off. She watched him go, before a sudden thought hit her.

"Boomer, wait!" she cried, running over to lean out of the window and shout after him.

"Where are you going to go?! You can't go home remember?!"

XBXBX

"Buttercup, do you think there's something wrong with Bubbles?" The jade-eyed Puff looked at Blossom critically.

"Why? Her little outburst at lunch freak you out?" Blossom nodded.

"It's not like her at all. Maybe we should talk to her, maybe see if she wants us to share with her tonight…"

"Oh, lay off will you? She's probably just sick of you fussing and flapping around her as if she's a baby all the time. I know I am." Buttercup affirmed this statement with a decisive nod, making Blossom scowl at her.

"I still think we ought to try talking to her," she said haughtily. "And since I _am_ the leader, I get final say." She shot a look that dared her sister to argue over her leadership, making Buttercup roll her eyes and walk away.

XBXBX

"Brick?" Butch was looking puzzled. Brick paused on his way back to his room.

"What?" he grunted. Butch scratched the back of his neck.

"Umm… where's all the food?" He was staring into the empty fridge, seeming to think that if he stared long enough, the fridge would be scared into producing something edible.

"Well I dunno. Doesn't Boomer do the food thing?" There was a pause.

"Where is that idiot anyway?" Another pause.

"Wanna go steal something?"

"Yeah, alright."

XBXBX

"Bubbles? You awake?" Bubbles, who had been sleeping, acknowledged her sister's presence with a sleepy mumble, prompting her to open the door. Buttercup quickly stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her.

"How you feeling?" Looking confused for a second, Bubbles remembered she was supposed to have been feeling sick.

"Oh, I'm better now," she mumbled. Buttercup cast a critical eye over her, before softening her expression.

"Hey listen, Bubbles, I'm only saying this to save trouble later, but you've got Blossom worried and it'll lead to a re-enactment of the inquisition if you don't watch out." She sighed, flopping down on the edge of the bed.

"And I know you weren't really sick today. What's up?" Bubbles just shook her head and dismissed Buttercup's (accurate) assessment of her 'illness'.

"Bubbles… Look, I'm not the best one for sensitivity. I'm probably the worst actually, but if there's somethin' on your mind you're probably better telling me than Bloss. You know how she gets." Buttercup kept her voice low, a rarely heard soothing quality in it. Bubbles smiled faintly.

"I know, but I'm fine. Really. There's just been so much homework at school. I'm fine though, I'm catching up." Her sister smiled and got up, bending over to pick something up off the floor.

"Looks like you dropped him," she said, smirking as she passed Octi back to his rightful owner. Bubbles took it from her, remembering how she'd unthinkingly tossed the doll onto the floor while making space for Boomer. Running her fingers over the well worn fabric and beady eyes, she smiled sadly, wondering if she'd ever be able to break free from being the 'baby'. But maybe Boomer was a step in the right direction, maybe he would help her break away from the confines of smothering sisterly love. Maybe he was the only chance she had.

"Buttercup! Bubbles! We've got trouble!" Blossom's voice had taken on the shrill 'in charge' tone that she adopted whenever something was going wrong. She appeared in the doorway, hurriedly dragging her hair back into a ponytail. Buttercup stood up quickly.

"Who is it this time?" Blossom's mouth was set in a grim line.

"It's _them_ again." Buttercup grinned and cracked her knuckles.

"Excellent. Time to show Butch what I learned in kickboxing this week."

"I really wish you wouldn't enjoy this so much. It's serious business and they could be a serious threat if they wanted." She tossed her hair and turned to her other sister. "Hey Bubbles, do you want to sit this one out? It _is_ just Brick and Butch after all." Bubbles bristled.

"It's fine. _I'm_ fine. I'll come."

XBXBX

"Alright boys, playtime's over. Give it up." Blossom looked despairingly at Buttercup for that exclamation.

"Hey, I thought the entrance was my thing?" she hissed indignantly. Buttercup ignored her, already squaring up to Butch. Sighing, Blossom turned back to face Brick, leaving Bubbles to hang back and cover them both. It was a long standing routine, and they were comfortable with it.

Naturally, Buttercup and Butch jumped into the fight immediately, quickly becoming nothing more than a green blur of arms, legs and foul language. Blossom and Brick circled one another cautiously at first; exchanging a few insults (he about her appearance, she about his intellect) before dissolving into a long range eye-laser shoot out which ended with Blossom throwing him into a nearby block of flats, leaving a balcony railing broken and bent outwards where he hit it and pushed it out his way. Bubbles hovered at the fringes, waiting to jump in if her sisters needed her.

Then, as she deflected a stray blow from Brick, she saw a wayward streak of navy heading their way. Boomer pulled up just short of where Butch and Buttercup were still beating the sassafras out of each other. He shot Bubbles a brief smile by way of greeting, obviously here to offer unneeded back up to his brothers, just as she was giving her sisters. Brick noticed his blonde haired brother had arrived on the scene and immediately yelled at him.

"Boomer! Stop floating there like an idiot and go get blondie over there, will ya?" Boomer clenched his jaw tightly at the word idiot.

"No thank you," he said, his voice mostly even. Brick was taken aback by this, but his look of shock was quickly replaced by anger.

"You want me to give you another bruise to match that?" he growled, gesturing to the ugly purple mark on Boomer's face. Boomer's jaw tightened a little more, his teeth grinding together. By now, Butch and Buttercup had stopped fighting to watch, drawing back to hover beside their respective siblings.

"I'm sick of taking orders from you Brick. I'll back you up, but I don't wanna fight just 'cos you tell me to." Brick's eyes narrowed.

"Oh yeah? You sure you just don't wanna fight _her?_" He swung around to point an accusing finger at Bubbles, who flinched, even at such a distance.

"You think I'd care about a Puff?" Boomer said smoothly. "Not a chance." A sly grin slid over the red head's features.

"Well then, you won't care if we even the score a little." He snapped his fingers towards Butch. "If we've only got two, they only get two. Butch, take out the blue one. Double time." Butch laughed.

"With pleasure."

It all happened very quickly after that.

Butch dived towards Bubbles, a murderous look on his face. Without thinking, Boomer threw himself down in front of his brother, not noticing Buttercup doing the exact same thing behind him. Butch crashed into his blue-eyed brother, sending him flying back into Buttercup who, unprepared for the force of the collision, was knocked back into a neighbouring building. There was a sharp gasp from Blossom.

Buttercup lay pressed against the side of the block of flats, the sharp end of the bent, broken balcony railing protruding from her stomach. She spluttered and coughed, blood spilling from her mouth. Shuddering, she tried to raise her arm towards her sisters, ultimately failing. The arm fell loosely back to her side, her eyes closing in a pained grimace. There was silence for a second, and then the air was split with Bubbles' scream.

"BUTTERCUP!"

-End Chapter 5-

_Is she dead? Is she alive? Who can say? Oh wait, I can._


	6. Pain

_Okay, so I have to apologise for the cliff-hanger and promise not to do it again. But… since I'm not an apologetic person, have this to say instead:_

_My story Alex, and I am not short! You're short! And if you don't help me in chemistry I'm holding you personally responsible for my failure in the exam! You hear me?!_

_well, now that that's out of my system, back to the important thing._

**Chapter 6: Pain**

_No time to_

_think._

_No time to_

_react._

_Barely even enough time to_

_scream._

"_BUTTERCUP!"_

Bubbles couldn't move. She stayed fixed, paralyzed in mid-air by the shock. Boomer, across from her, was likewise transfixed. Blossom, however, had already dived towards their sister, now limply hanging against the wall. As she reached desperately out to her, to try and find some spark of life left in her, her hand was roughly shoved out of the way by, of all people, Butch.

"C'mon BC!" he was yelling, his face twisted with fear, something suspiciously like tears glistening at the corners of his eyes.

"C'mon!" he yelled again, gently taking her by the shoulders.

"Remember what we said? I promised I'd be the one that killed you. A fair fight remember? You and me. Not like this, not now BC! You can't just give up like this!" There was no response at first, but then there was a small cough.

"Buttercup!" Blossom squeaked, rushing to check her sister's pulse. Buttercup shuddered again and suddenly lurched forward, gripping the front of Butch's shirt.

"Not like… this," she choked, blood still dripping from her lips. "Can't be…" Her grip slackened, her hand falling away. Butch grabbed it, clutching it to his chest.

"We've gotta get her to hospital," he said urgently, letting go of her hand just long enough to rip his shirt off.

"We can use this to try and slow the bleeding down while we get her there. Brick, gimme yours. Now." Neither of the reds were prepared to argue with him, Brick quickly handing over his shirt, helping his brother to gently dislodge Buttercup from the railing. They pressed the shirts to her wounds, Blossom quickly supplying her ribbon to help tie them in place.

"Here, I can…" she started. Butch shook his head.

"I'm the strongest. You won't be able to fly fast enough carrying her." Blossom grudgingly agreed.

"Bubbles," she called. "We have to go with her. Come on." Bubbles nodded weakly, her stomach clenching at the sight of all the blood. She glanced at Boomer. His face was deadly pale, his body quivering as his expression contorted oddly.

"Boomer…"

"BUBBLES! Now!" Bubbles flinched at the hysteria in her sister's voice, and turned away, following them over the city towards the hospital.

XBXBX

"How's she doing?" Bubbles looked up sleepily at Brick, who was holding two cups of coffee, one held out to her. She took it and shook her head.

"I'm not sure. The doctor said she was more stable now, but it could go either way. There's no way for them to know what'll happen." Brick nodded.

"Blossom still in there?"

"Mmhm, her and the Professor." He nodded again and walked up the corridor a little ways to sit with Butch, handing him the other cup of coffee.

Bubbles hadn't been able to stay in the intensive care ward. The sight of Buttercup drenched in blood and hooked up to all those machines… She couldn't handle it. They'd cleaned up most of the blood, but Buttercup, the strong, independent fighter, unable to move, barely able to even breathe for herself, it was as if she'd entered some nightmarish parallel world, even though she knew there was no waking up from this dream.

"Umm…"

"Huh? Oh, Butch…" The green eyed boy stood awkwardly in front of her, a khaki jacket now hiding most of his bare chest.

"Look," he muttered. "I'm sorry about Boomer. What he did to her…" He gestured towards the door of the ward. Bubbles looked at him, tears welling up and anger flaring.

"What he did? What _he_ did?! What you did you mean! If it wasn't for _you_ this wouldn't have happened! Boomer was only trying to protect me, it wasn't his fault!" Butch was unable to stop himself backing away from the furious girl in front of him, flinching as she screamed at him. Disgusted at his arrogance and at herself for being so weak that she _needed_ someone to protect her, she turned and ran for the doors, wanting out of the hospital and as far away as possible.

XBXBX

She found Boomer in the woods outside the city. She'd searched for him for hours, despite the fact that it was well after midnight. He was hard to spot, but she found him, curled up with his head on his knees at the edge of the lake.

"Boomer…" she whispered, alighting gently a few feet away from him. He turned his head slightly, and she saw reflections of light in the tear tracks running down his face.

"Bubbles," he choked, trying to keep his voice level. "I'm sorry. I did this. I could have killed her, I'm so sorry…" Bubbles stood for a moment, staring at him before flinging herself at him, wrapping her arms round his neck, finding herself crying.

"No Boomer, no! It's not your fault. All you did was try to protect me. Don't ever think it was your fault."

"But I…"

"No Boomer. It's… It's all _my_ fault. If I wasn't so weak you and Buttercup wouldn't have tried to save me, this wouldn't have happened. I should be stronger, I shouldn't need anyone. I shouldn't have let this happen to my sister!" She couldn't stop the tears now, collapsing in on herself, her arms wrapped around her stomach, bent over her knees. She screamed out her guilt and her sorrow and her anger, leaving herself empty and hurting.

She felt a soft hand at her shoulder, and looked up to see Boomer looking at her with such gentle eyes that she wanted to cry all the more. Instead she let him pull her up and put his arms around her, holding her gently against him.

"Bubbles, you're not weak. You're not to blame. I tried to protect you… because I wanted to. That's all. You didn't need me to. You're strong enough." Bubbles swallowed, trying to force back more tears.

"I can understand if you don't want… _can't_ be with me now. I just wanted…" Bubbles silenced him, pressing a finger up to his lips.

"There are a lot of things I don't understand right now," she said slowly.

"I don't know why this had to happen, or why it had to happen to Buttercup. I don't know if she'd going to be ok and I don't know if she'll ever be the same again. But there is one thing I do know, and that's that I want to be with you, because you are the only thing that makes even one tiny little bit of sense to me right now."

There was a silence as the two looked at each other; Bubbles' eyes blazing with more emotion than she could handle; Boomer's confused, but gentle, flicking over her face.

And then, hesitantly, shyly, Boomer kissed her.

It wasn't long, it wasn't gentle, it was little more than a brief, firm pressing of lips that lasted all of about two seconds. They blushed as they pulled apart, hardly daring to look at each other. This didn't last long, as Boomer carefully reached up to place his hand on her cheek, his fingers tangling in a loose strand of her hair.

Their second kiss was longer and more tender, with Boomer carefully sliding his arms around her waist and back in order to pull her closer. She responded, slipping her arms up and round his neck and angling her head so as to make it easier for them. It lasted for what seemed like forever, the two pulling apart breathing a little heavier than previously.

"Y'know, there was a time I would have blown up if we'd done that," Boomer said, grinning. Bubbles giggled and cuffed him on the shoulder.

"And that," she said. "Is how to ruin a moment." Boomer stuck his tongue out at her, and then sobered.

"You should get back to the hospital. Blossom and the Professor will be worried about you." Bubbles shook her head.

"I know I should, but I can't see Buttercup like she is right now and besides, your brothers are still there." His lips tightened.

"I guess they'll have worked out there's something going on between us by now."

"Does it matter? My sister is fighting for her life in hospital and Butch is refusing to leave until he knows she's ok. Somehow, I don't think they'll mind too much." He sighed, before giving her a kiss on the cheek and standing up.

"I'll take you over. I guess we'll find out when we get there."

-End of Chapter 6-

_Next Chapter: The two face their siblings. Also, will Buttercup wake up any time soon? I wonder…_


	7. Breaking and Mending

_Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. I really appreciate it!_

**Chapter 7: Breaking and Mending**

"How do you think they'll take it?" Boomer asked, a nervous look in his eyes. Bubbles slid her hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, it's what we want, and that means they can't stop us." He smiled at that, giving her hand a clumsy squeeze of his own. She tried hard not to screw her face up as her fingers were crushed. Taking deep breaths, the pair turned and, throwing worried glances at each other, entered the hospital.

_3 weeks later_

The house was quiet, but then again, it was 8 o'clock on a Sunday morning, why would it be anything but quiet? Bubbles sat up and stretched, working out the kinks in her shoulders. Running a hand through her hair, she swung her legs out of bed and padded to the bathroom. On the way there she ran into a sleepy-eyed Blossom who gave her a curt nod and swept past her. Bubbles sighed quietly. Ever since she and Boomer had announced their relationship Blossom had been… distant, to say the least.

"_Where have you been?! We've been worried sick!"_

"_What is _he_ doing here?"_

"_You want _what_?! You realise he's a Rowdyruff? A _villain?_ How could you?"_

"_No, I won't allow it. I won't let you do this."_

"_That's _not_ my sister."_

She watched her sister retreat to her own bedroom, trying to ignore the baleful look thrown from the pink eyes.

XBXBX

"Bubbles?"

"Buttercup? What are you doing up?" Buttercup smiled sheepishly and slid into the blue bedroom.

"I just… woke up. I think it's those antibiotic things." Bubbles smiled. Ever since Buttercup had been brought home she'd done nothing but complain about the medication she'd been given to stave off infection from her stomach wound. At least she was getting back to normal. True, she couldn't take part in sport, or anything even remotely strenuous, but she was still as outspoken as ever, and her energy was returning.

"So, Bloss talking to you yet?" Bubbles shook her head.

"No, she's really against it…"

"Ah let her sulk. She's just sore 'cos you won't do what she wants anymore. Plus, she's probably jealous since Brick won't look at her twice."

"You think so?"

"Sure. Besides, you're happy, what should you care what she thinks?" Bubbles sometimes wondered why it was that Buttercup, the 'violent' one, was often the one that was most helpful in these situations. She supposed it was because Buttercup didn't bother with subtlety and cut straight to the heart of things. Sure, her advice may be harsh sometimes, but at least it usually made sense.

"Anyway, is he coming round again today?" Bubbles nodded. Boomer came round to see her most days now. She was still surprised at how well Buttercup had taken it, considering she was often the first one to launch into an attack on the boys in general. At the time, she had though it to be a side-effect of all the morphine, but even now she seemed quite happy with it.

"_Hey Bubbles, guess I shouldn't have got in the way of your new bodyguard huh?"_

"_As long as he treats you right, why should I care?"_

"_If you do one single thing to my sister that makes her even a tiny bit upset, I will hurt you."_

"_Shut up Blossom. They want it, let them be. As long as he behaves, what's the issue?"_

"Cool," Buttercup was saying, carrying on their conversation.

"I actually wanted to talk to him. I'm stuck in that new game I got. He's played it, right?" Bubbles shrugged. To satisfy Buttercup's ever-present lust for violence, the Professor had bought her an Xbox and an ever-growing selection of games. However, Boomer was also an avid gamer, and so Bubbles was pretty sure he'd have played it, and told Buttercup so.

"Excellent. Anyway, that wasn't all I came to ask you about." Bubbles noticed a worried look in her sister's eyes. She nodded for her to continue.

"Well… It's about Butch. Y'know how he was always visiting me in the hospital and stuff? And before that when this happened," she gestured to her stomach. "I was just wondering, do you think it means… _anything?_" Bubbles giggled. That was all?

"That depends. I mean… do you like him?"

"I dunno! Every time I see him I wanna clobber him! I mean, you heard him, we did promise that if either of us died it would be the other killing them. It's not exactly the stuff dreams are made of."

"But then again, you two… you're not exactly…" Buttercup smiled grimly.

"No, we're not. Look, thanks anyway Bubbles, but I think I need to worry about this when I don't have a hole in my stomach. I swear it's giving me an ulcer." She grinned and left, waving over her shoulder.

XBXBX

"Hey, Professor. Busy today?"

"Hmm? Oh hello Bubbles." The Professor looked tired, but he seemed happy. Obviously he'd pulled an all-nighter on his current project. She watched him as he settled back into poring over the notes and charts he had spread over the kitchen table. Wandering over to the sideboard, she flipped the switch on the kettle and grabbed a couple of mugs from the cupboard.

"Do you want some coffee? You look like you could use it."

"Yes, that would be great thanks." They carried on in silence for a while, but not like the cold, uncomfortable silences she now shared with Blossom. This was more a feeling of not having to talk, to just let it be enough to share the same space for a while. She placed a steaming mug down in front of him and slid into the seat opposite, casting an eye over the piles of paper on the table. Naturally, she didn't understand a single thing there, other than the three report cards sitting on top of a pile of spreadsheets, and she wasn't entirely sure she really wanted to look at those.

"Is Boomer coming today?"

"Yes, we thought we'd go to the park. If that's alright."

"Of course. How are things between you?" Bubbles smiled warmly.

"Really good! He's always really nice, and he looks after me. Although he doesn't make me feel like I need protecting or anything…"

"That's good. As long as you're happy. And how are things with Blossom?" Bubbles' smile turned into a worried frown.

"She still won't talk to me. It's been three weeks now Professor, what if she never talks to me again?" He smiled reassuringly.

"She's just going through a difficult time right now. You see, Blossom is so used to being the leader that she has almost forgotten that you and Buttercup are more than just her team. You're your own people and you can think for yourselves. She has to adjust to the fact that you will do what you want and not what she thinks is best." Bubbles nodded.

"You're right. Thank you Professor." They sat in silence for another few minutes, and then the doorbell rang.

XBXBX

"I'll get it!" they heard Blossom call from the hallway. Bubbles looked at the clock and then swallowed the last of her coffee hurriedly. Judging from the time, she was pretty sure that it was Boomer at the door. She jumped up and raced to catch Blossom, but she was too late. Her sister was already opening up.

"Oh. It's you." Boomer nodded awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Umm… Is Bubbles…?" He caught sight of her as she came down the hall towards them, chewing her lip a little at the almost tangible tension in the air.

"I'll just get coat," she mumbled, grabbing it and throwing it on.

"I'll umm… be back before dinner," she tried; hoping formality would at least garner some kind of recognition in her sister. All she received was a curt nod before Blossom turned and swept away.

XBXBX

Boomer hadn't been quite as lucky as Bubbles when it had come to acceptance. But then again, maybe he had. The immediate reaction had been shock, followed by anger, and then he had been kicked out for about two hours. Since then, things had been… strained, but more or less normal.

"_Wait, a _Puff?_ You're dating a _Puff?!_"_

"_How could you man? They're so frickin'… I mean _come on!_"_

"_How did that even happen?"_

"_BC's laying there half dead and you go get it on with her sister? What the hell?"_

"_Just get outta here. I don't want you around for a while."_

He thought it was kinda funny the way Butch's main argument had revolved around Buttercup. Or how Brick had later wondered aloud how Blossom would be taking it. Still, that wasn't really any of his concern. Right now, he was worried about how hard Bubbles was taking the whole Blossom thing. She'd said straight out that she was not going to stop seeing him just because her sister wasn't happy, but she was obviously still upset.

"Hey listen, if you don't want to go out today…" Bubbles sighed but shook her head.

"No, it's not that… It's just, I wonder if things will ever be fixed between me and Blossom. She seems so angry with me." Boomer slung an arm round her shoulders.

"Look, don't worry about it. You still manage when you're out doing your thing aren't you?" That was true. The Powerpuffs were still very much in business and were still doing a good job. Even if the most they had to deal with was Princess throwing a PMS induced wobbly (these did tend to include a lot of destruction and expensive weaponry however) every month or so.

"I guess… but things are so hard at home. She won't even look at me any more."

"Look Bubbles. You remember all those bruises I had?" Bubbles nodded slowly.

"And the cut I had here?" She nodded again.

"Well, the bruises have gone, but I've still got a scar from the cut, right?" She frowned at him.

"What are you talking about?"

"What I'm saying is that even though I'm more or less back to normal from before, I've still got one little bit that won't heal up properly. And what you have to remember is that some things don't heal up completely. So maybe you and Blossom won't go back to the way you were before, maybe that won't heal up properly either."

"You know, that doesn't really make me feel better." Boomer thought for a second.

"Well…" he started again.

"Do you really want things to go back to normal? I mean, remember how miserable you were before when she treated you like a little kid? Do you want it to go back to that?" Bubbles considered this, finally seeing his point.

"So, what you're saying is that even if things aren't the same, that there's a change, maybe it might be for the best in the end?" He nodded.

"Yeah, that's it." She laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"You know, a scar probably wasn't the best analogy to use there."

"You reckon? Guess it shows I never got to high school."

"Good thing I don't much care."

"That's true." He kissed her lightly, happy to see her smiling again. She giggled and took his hand, continuing on through the park. As they walked they chatted about random things, complained about siblings, told silly jokes. It was nice, Boomer thought, not to have to worry about looking silly around her.

XBXBX

"Professor? May I talk to you?"

"What's the matter Blossom?" Blossom sighed and sat down across from him.

"It's this whole thing with Bubbles. I don't like it." Now it was the Professor's turn to sigh.

"Blossom, we've been over this."

"I know, but I just can't understand why she won't see sense. It's obvious that he's playing her."

"Blossom, have you ever considered that maybe he simply does like her? You said yourself he wasn't as bad as his brothers."

"But Professor!" Before the Professor could try to reason with her, he too found himself cut off.

"Hey Bloss, you wanna button it for once?" Buttercup was growling from the doorway.

"Look, she's happy. Better than she's been in ages. You telling me you didn't notice her looking miserable all the time?" Blossom's tone became dismissive in the face of this argument.

"But she could be in trouble. He could be making her do things she doesn't want…"

"Oh please. The fact that she's not doing what you want means that she's not going to do anything she doesn't want to do. Grow up Blossom."

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Blossom exploded out of her chair, clenching her fists and glaring at her sister. Buttercup folded her arms over her chest and stared back.

"I will speak to you however I damn well please. You're my sister, not my boss."

"Buttercup, I swear…"

"You'll what? Fight me? You want this to open up again?" That stopped Blossom in her tracks. Realising that she couldn't win this one, she instead stormed out of the kitchen and flew up to her room. Buttercup was sure she could hear her crying.

"Buttercup… you could have been a little more subtle."

"And that would have worked? She needs someone to tell her straight. I'm sick of her upsetting Bubbles. Besides, if Boomer tries anything funny, she should know I'll be the first one to wring his neck." The Professor grimaced. Sometimes he wished she wasn't quite so violent.

"Well, what's done is done. Did you take your medicine?" Now Buttercup was the one that grimaced.

"Yeah, I took it. For all the good it does. When's Bubbles getting back?"

"Soon I would imagine."

XBXBX

"I should be getting back…" Boomer frowned at her tone.

"Is something wrong?"

"Well…" she suddenly shook her head forcefully.

"No, I can't let this worry me. It's like you said, maybe something good will come of it." He laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

"It'll be fine. Come on, who could stay mad at you?" He gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Now, shall we walk? Or fly?" She answered by rising slightly in the air, tugging him up after her. The flight lasted around five minutes. They didn't talk much until they reached the Utonium house.

"Well, here we are," Boomer said as they descended onto the street outside. He landed first and effectively lifting her from the air, he spun her round once and set her down, making her giggle and blush.

"Thanks for today Boomer, I think I needed it." He didn't answer her immediately, instead choosing the moment to kiss her instead. She folded her arms round his neck, happy to join in.

"Now," he said gently, breaking away from her. "Time for you to go in there and do your thing." She smiled, kissed him on the cheek and turned to go, turning back on the doorstep to wave. He waved back and flew off while she let herself into the house.

XBXBX

"Hello? I'm home." There was no answer. She wandered into the kitchen and found a note on the fridge door.

_Me and the Prof gone for pizza. Back soon. BC_

That meant that Blossom was probably still in the house. She quietly moved through the hall to the stairs, choosing to fly up them so as not to make a noise. Then she thought about it. Was she really scared to face her sister? She lowered herself to the ground and walked up them normally, making it to her bedroom door before she heard a small noise behind her. Turning, she saw Blossom staring at her from her own room. Her eyes were rimmed with red; it was obvious she had been crying.

"Blossom? What's wrong?" Blossom looked away for a second.

"I… can't say I'm very happy about you wanting to go out with _him_, but I guess… I guess it's your decision. I'm sorry I've been so… difficult about the whole thing." Bubbles smiled.

"That's ok Blossom. I understand." Blossom frowned, apparently having expected some kind of retribution. Bubbles thought it best to try and set the record straight once and for all.

"You just wanted what you thought was best, right? Except that I decided what it was this time. You don't have to like it; I just want us to be friends again. Can we?" Blossom gave a small smile.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"But…" Bubbles swallowed, hardly daring to believe she was about to say this.

"I don't want you to be my leader anymore. You spend so much time trying to be grown up and responsible. It's like you're trying to be my mother and my boss all in one, and I think I just want a sister. Maybe a bossy sister, but I can live with that." Blossom pursed her lips, and then burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay, maybe I have been too uptight, but seriously, you're trying to make me feel better by calling me bossy?" Bubbles couldn't help herself and joined in the laughing. Neither of them heard the front door opening, or Buttercup and the Professor coming up the stairs to investigate the noises. In fact, they didn't even notice them standing and exchanging confused looks as they watched the pair laugh like there was no tomorrow.

XBXBX

"So it all worked out?" Bubbles tucked the phone into her neck and grabbed Octi from her pillow.

"Yes," she said happily as she played with the little octopus doll. "Of course, she's still not entirely happy, but she's talking to me now."

"I knew it would be ok. That's great."

"Mmhm, the Professor said we could take a trip this weekend, as a family. So that should help out a little more too." They chatted a little longer, until Blossom shouted upstairs.

"Bubbles! We're gonna watch a movie, West Side Story, your favourite!"

"Oh! Boomer, I gotta go. I'll see you soon, okay? Talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay. Oh, and Bubbles?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

-End-

_Gosh, that was long. That was at least two chapters worth. Sorry for rambling so much… So, the fic is now finished, thank you for reading all the way to the end. Now please, please review!_


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